The Great Pumpkin Race at Buckelew Farm News

RACE RECAP - The Great Pumpkin Race 2019

After some delay and uncertainty we were elated to learn a few months that we could again hold The Great Pumpkin Race (the 13th annual!) at Buckelew Farm this year!

We are so grateful to Clint, Laura and all of the Buckelews for so graciously welcoming SAR yet Sunday morning, and what a wonderful morning was had by all! The weather was picture-perfect and the later start this year permitted folks to sleep in a little bit more than in past years.

We owe so much to all of the volunteers that donated their time and talents to make this event happen. You are all amazing and we can’t thank you enough! Special shout outs to: Erik Sanders - for helping mark the course for hours on Saturday afternoon and for starting his volunteer duties at 5:30am on race day. Steve Felde - long-time SAR Board Member who helped with packet pickup yesterday and race registration and many other things this morning. Tom Tronsdale and his son Mac - for helping to coordinate with the Buckelews as well as picking up the water and marking the corn maze this morning. Chris and Denise Fall - for picking up some food and other items and for helping to haul all of the equipment out to the race site. And, lastly, a huge thank you to the amazing daughter of the RD, Christine Outridge, for organizing, bringing and working on everything needed for our trick or treat and pumpkin decorating stations!

A huge thank you as well to our event sponsors Canyon Fence and Mr. Tom Tronsdale, and to the incredible Running Shop. Sharon Bart and Lucas Tyler are such tremendous supporters of the Tucson running community and we are eternally grateful for it! Thanks as well to Selena Valencia Photography for capturing the day in pictures for us (the pictures will be posted to Facebook soon) and to DJ Rich for spinning his tunes and his announcing talents!

Our one milers started things off at 8:30am and got to do some trick or treating along the way including a quick stop in the crazy corn maze. You are all winners for getting out and exercising with us!

At 9:00am our 5K participants took off for their fun and enjoyed the peacefulness and beautiful views around and in the farm. The men’s 5K top three had a close battle. They were Aaron Judkins (19:03), Omar Sotelo (19:13), and Justin Benge (19:19). The male Master’s winner was Scott Lee (21:04). For the women in the 5k the top three were: Janet Holland (22:01), Eva Bruce (22:43), and Wieke De Boer (23:19). The Master’s crown went to Amye Kaempf (23:20).

We added a number of new things to the event this year and we hope that all who attended had a great time. Please email me at outridge2003@yahoo.com to provide any feedback you may have on the event, good or not so good.

Please note that if you have not yet picked up your awards you may do so at the Running Shop beginning on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

The Great Pumpkin Race results now posted

The Great Pumpkin Race Is On!

Sep 5, 2019

Don't let reports fool you. Even though Buckelew Farm is closed for their Daily Pumpkin festival, they are holding and hosting some special events, such as SAR's awesome Great Pumpkin Race on Sunday, 10/13/19. They have planted some pumpkins in the fields and will have some for sale for us. Be sure to be there with your family and friends to run through the pumpkin fields and corn maze. Wear a costume and try to win the costume contest and do some Trick or Treating with the kids! We'll see you there!

Great Pumpkin Race - 2018 Recap

Oct 21, 2018

Another successful Great Pumpkin Race at Buckelew Farms, brought to you by the Southern Arizona Roadrunners, is in the books!

It was beautiful morning at Buckelew Farms today for the 5K and FitKidz mile. Participants had a blast running the the pumpkin fields and corn maze and there were some fast times out there! As usual on a working Pumpkin Farm, the course was as close to a 5K as was workable and this was probably a little under 3 miles. No complaints were heard as this event is about fun, Pumpkins, dancing to the Monster Mash, running in costumes and running through a corn maze!

In the 5K, the women’s overall was won by Josephine Bush in a speedy time of 18:08, second place was Claire Hans in 18:34 and in third place was Kristina Bonet in 19:02. The female Master’s Winner was Jeanne Krizman in 21:24.

On the men’s side, the 5K winner was Ernesto Chavez-Brito in an outstanding time of 17:17, second place was Daryll Brosanders in 17:58, and taking third was Patrick Kincannon in 18:07. The men’s Maters crown was won by James Mills in 19:57.

Over 120 kids enjoyed the FitKidz mile and playing on the farm afterwards, including riding out on tractor-pulled wagons to pick their own pumpkins right out of the patch!

Many thanks to the Buckelew Family for again allowing SAR to have the Great Pumpkin race on their incredible farm. Huge kudos as well to The Running Shop for being our primary sponsor and such a fantastic supporter of local running. A big thank you as well to Canyon Fence, the co-Race Director Mr. Tom Tronsdal and his son Mac who filled in as Fitz today to root on the kids.

These days we understand that there are many events for you to choose from and we are very grateful for those who chose to join us for the Great Pumpkin Race today! We hope to see you all, and many of your friends and family, next year! If you have any ideas of things you would like to see us do for you at this event please send an email the the Race Director as outridge2003@yahoo.com.

Great Pumpkin Race 2017 - Race Recap

Oct 15, 2017

The 2017 Great Pumpkin Race is in the books! It was a glorious morning and for all of you that didn’t make it out to Buckelew Farms we are sorry that you missed out on all the fun!

We had a fantastic turnout again for the FitKidz mile and, although it seems that somehow a sign may have been moved and the course was long, congratulations to all who braved the 1 plus mile and the ‘terrifying’ trek through the corn maze! The first 3 boys across the finish line were Max Irey, Jackson Gant-Golston and Juan Rodriguez Jr. and the top 3 girls were Alana Felix, Belen Ballesteros and Julia Irby. Nice work!

The 5K course was quite the challenge to put together this year due to the somewhat unique configuration of the farm where the pumpkins are planted in the fields to the west of the corn maze. Runners got to experience a connector trail that many have not run on previously. However, the course measured out reasonably close to the 5K goal despite the challenges and it seems a good time was had by all. Female winners in order were Lauren Reasoner, Elisia Escanuela and Jenny Stolik. Men’s winners in order were Tyler Bauer, Alfredo Rodriguez and Julian Sosa.

We are again astounded with the community of people that make up the Southern Arizona Roadrunners, and the greater Tucson running community. Many among us are so incredibly giving of their time and talents in volunteering to help create a successful and joyous race day experience for fellow runners and walkers. There is a massive list of people to thank including Steve and Sheryl Felde, Michael Miller, Chad Goebel, Marti Ackermann, Gary Giese, Connie Lopez, Shirley Hester, Rogelio Hernandez, Tricia Conrad, Monica Bermudez, Don Taylor, Tara Bruce, Tim Bentley, Jeri Baker, Heather Hopkins, Erin Brackney, Nichole Sellers, Elyce Berry, Christine Outridge, Joe Plassmann, Robert Yanez. Brent Gambrell and Bea Coyle. We are sorry to those we’ve missed. It truly takes a village to put on these events and we appreciate you more than you know!

Of course, many thanks to the Buckelew family for allowing us to hold one of our whacky runs on their farm every year. They are a tremendous group of people. Many thanks also to our sponsors The Running Shop and Canyon Fence; along with our trusted co-Race Director and co-Creator of this event, Mr. Tom Tronsdal.

Make sure to tell your family and friends what great fun you had this year and that they do not want to miss next year’s event!

The Great Pumpkin Race at Buckelew Farms results now posted!

Registration is Now Open For The Great Pumpkin Race 2017!

Jul 9, 2017

Registration is now open for The Great Pumpkin Race 2017! What could be better than a family day out at Buckelew Farms including free entry into the farm before 8am for all registered participants followed by an awesome 5K or FitKidz mile including the haunted Corn Maze!

The Great Pumpkin Race 2014 - Results

The Great Pumpkin 5K Results

Oct 12, 2014

We think everybody made it out of the Haunted Corn Maze at today's Great Pumpkin 5K. If not, we hope they like corn on the cob! Race results at the link. Thank you for a superb race and supporting locally produced races. Our runners, volunteers, sponsors, cheerers and designated pumpkin carriers made the day great! Stay tuned for pictures aerial photos & videos.

- No dogs allowed
- If you enter the park by 8:00 a.m., there is no charge. All entrants to the park after 8:00 will be charged admission. So get there early to save your spot!
- Strollers are OK but this is a working farm, so it may be difficult, but not impossible at times.
- Both races finish through the corn maze. While we make it easy to get through the corn maze, young children should be accompanied while in the maze. If your child is competing in the SAR FitKidz One Mile race, you may consider running with them through the maze.

Next Up: Run n’ Roll at the UA!

Sep 30, 2013

October 6: Jim Click’s Run n’ Roll:One of Tucson’s premier races, the 8k winds through the beautiful campus of the University of Arizona. Register online through Friday or register in person at our Performance Footwear friends at 5350 E. Broadway Blvd. Packet pickup and registration is from 9:30am to 12:30 pm at Performance Footwear. Save $5 by registering before 12:30pm at the store. In-store registration ends on Saturday at 12:30pm.

October 13: The Great Pumpkin Race at Buckelew Farms
Click here for online registration and click here for additional details of registering in person or by mail. An inexpensive, family-friendly 5k run or walk through dirt roads, pumpkin rows, and corn mazes, this event also includes the second FitKidz Free Mile.

Next Up on SAR Calendar

Sep 20, 2013

September 28: FitKidz Free Mile at Sabino: The first-ever Sabino Canyon Free 1 Mile Kids Classic will take place at the beautiful Sabino Canyon on National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 28, 2013 at 7:30am. Register for free here.

October 6: Jim Click’s Run n’ Roll: Starting on Saturday, September 21st, you can register for Run n Roll in person at Performance Footwear. Register online or visit our friends at Performance Footwear at the Williams Center at 5350 E. Broadway Blvd.

October 13: The Great Pumpkin Race at Buckelew Farms
Click here for online registration and click here for additional details of registering in person or by mail. An inexpensive 5k run or walk through family-friendly dirt roads, pumpkin rows, and corn mazes, this event also second FitKidz Free Mile.

Great Pumpkin Race Information

Oct 14, 2011

The SAR ghosts and goblins are busy putting the final touches on The Great Pumpkin Race 5K this Sunday, October 16th at 7:30 a.m. We’ll weave our way through the Buckelew Farms Pumpkin Patch that ends with a ‘scary’ dash through the Haunted Corn Maze…

A few details…

• Pre-registration and packet pick-up is set for Saturday, October 15 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at The Running Shop. SAR and Non-SAR pricing remains the same at $10 and $12 respectively.
• Race day registration is from 6:15 – 7:15 a.m. at Buckelew Farms. Race day price is $15.
• You can get directions and check out the Buckelew Farm website and corn maze here. We’ve only lost 3 people in past races, perhaps we’ll find them this year?
• Become a fan of SAR on Facebook and vote for your favorite ‘spooky’ Halloween song.
•Costumes are encouraged by ghouls and goblins of all ages. Costumes will be judged by our celebrity judges and be eligible for fabulous prizes!

Pumpkin 2009 Results

2009 Great Pumpkin Race is Set!

Sep 29, 2009

The Great Pumpkin Race is set for Saturday, October 24 at the Buckalew Farm just west of Tucson. This cross-country style 5K races though the Buckalew family farm and includes portions of their wild and crazy corn maze. Click for details and to register.